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<p>Representing a function with a graph requires careful attention to the behavior of the quantities in the situation. To reinforce this idea, tell students that they will observe you walking from one end of the classroom to the other, and suppose they were to graph your distance from the starting point as a function of time.</p>
<p>Ask students to notice any characteristics of the movement that would affect the output of this function and show up as distinct features on a graph.</p>
<p>Walk from one side of the classroom to the other, incorporating moves such as:</p>
<ul>
  <li>walking at a constant rate all the way</li>
  <li>slowing down and speeding up</li>
  <li>walking one way and then turning around and walking back</li>
  <li>taking a few steps, stopping and standing still, and then continuing walking</li>
  <li>walking backward a few steps, and then walking forward again</li>
</ul>
<p>Solicit as many observations as possible about the walk. For each observation that students make, ask them how it would affect a graph of the function. For instance, students may note that slowing down and speeding up translate to shallower and steeper lines, respectively. They may also say that stopping translates to a horizontal segment on the graph, and that the longer the pause, the longer the segment.</p>
<p>If time permits, repeat the walking demonstration and ask students to graph the function.</p>